Barriss Offee: puppet of the Sith
by norik956
Summary: One friend betrayed another. Trust is forever damaged. How many people are to blame for recent tragedies? Is Barriss Offee really the cold mastermind, or is something else going on? Her interrogation will reveal a shocking truth. Slight Luxsoka at the end. My version of the end of S5 E 20, massive spoiler warning. (first ever story). Rated T for mentions of death etc, from S5 E20
1. Chapter 1

_Several days after the confession of Barriss Offee_

Coruscant prison, isolation chambers

Third person POV

"_Good afternoon Coruscant, I am Mira Calette for the _Coruscant Archive_, your station for the most actual news"_, a black-haired, human news reporter says to her live crowd. _"As requested by the senate, we are standing just outside the prison cell of the notorious traitor Jedi padawan Barriss Offee. The senate wanted her interrogation to be broadcasted live over the holonet so everyone could know what really happened the past few days."._

Outside the cell are gathered three other individuals (besides the reporter and the clone guards): Jedi Master Luminara Unduli, Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker and Admiral Tarkin. Admiral Tarkin was wearing his usual boring face whilst both Jedi showed no expression at all.

"_Master Unduli, may I ask you for your opinion on this matter? After all, wasn't the traitor Offee your padawan?", _the human reporter asked. Answering in her usual calm and collected manner Luminara asked the reporter: _"Tell me miss Calette…",_ the reporter interrupted: _"Please master Jedi, call me Mira"_. "_Very well Mira"_, Master Unduli continued, _"Do you have any children?"_.

Somewhat perplexed by her answer the reporter said: _"yes, as a matter of fact I do. Why do you ask?"_. "_How would you feel if one of your children suddenly and without warning committed such a violent act and then tried to frame her best friend for her actions?"_, came Master Unduli's reply.

She continued: _"Barriss has been my padawan for years and over this time she has grown closer to me"._ Luminara turned to face the reporter and her camera, the Jedi Master's face obviously saddened. "_Barriss is like a daughter to me, to see her like this it hurts tremendously._" Luminara sighed, _"I still remember the quiet young girl who wanted nothing more than to become a powerful healer so she could prevent other from feeling pain. Now however, she has inflicted so much pain and sorrow on others, including her best friend. It just doesn't fit her."_ Luminara turned away again and took a few steps forward, staring at wall. "_Is this my fault? Could I have prevented this somehow? Why couldn't I see that she was troubled so much?" _She asked, mostly to herself.

"_Master Unduli, this was not your fault."_ Anakin tried to assure her. She turned to face him. "_Perhaps it was perhaps it wasn't but that does not make me feel any better about this whole situation", _came her quiet reply. Anakin didn't respond and cast his gaze towards the floor.

"_if I may interject…"_, Admiral Tarkin said, "_it is time to interrogate the traitor. Whether or not you feel guilty of her actions does not make the situation any different"._ Both Jedi looked at Tarkin, Luminara with a neutral gaze while Anakin seemed to have some difficulty hiding his frustration with the man responsible for everything that happened to Ahsoka. Just thinking back and seeing her walk away down the steps of the temple stabbed him in the heart. _"I hope your safe Snips, wherever you are now"_, he thought to himself.

"_Very well Admiral, we will begin with the interrogation"_, Luminara finally spoke up, _"However I will be doing the questioning. Barriss is at this time still a member of the Order and my padawan"._ Tarkin opened his mouth to object but Anakin cut him off: _"I agree with master Unduli, you've done more than enough already Admiral". _He said the last word in such a way that Tarkin realized he had no choice but to accept. "_All right then"_, he responded, _"let's begin"._

Anakin gave the guards a sign and they deactivated the security shield and Anakin, Luminara, Tarkin and the reporter with her camera entered the cell. Luminara approached Barriss while the reporter took great care to remain near the other end of the cell.

Barriss Offee was sitting on the bench in the cell, her hands chained together with a force repressing lock, an unreadable expression on her features. _"Barriss?" _Luminara asked. There was no reply.

"_Barriss, look at me.", _Luminara said in a stricter tone of voice. Hesitantly, Barriss looked up. Her master question was an obvious one. _"Why did you do this Barriss? How could you murder innocent civilians and clones? Your fellow Jedi, one of your oldest friends?"_. Luminara asked, her voice slightly trembling. Barriss seemed a bit distant before answering: _"I did it to make a statement. The Jedi Order has lost it's way. We have become warmongers instead of peacekeepers. We have fallen from our purpose and are on our way to becoming nothing more than our enemies."_, she said in a cold voice. Luminara responded: _"I don't believe this Barriss. This isn't like you, if you had problems with the Order you should have discussed them with me. You should have talked to me."_ Luminara went on, her voice slightly louder and more emotional than normal. "_You wanted to be a healer and cure people, now you've become a terrorist, a murderer."_ "_We are all murderers, you just fail to see it!"_ Barriss responded in a harsh tone. _"Barriss, we are trying to restore the peace to the Republic"_, Luminara continued, hoping to find something of the old Barriss in the stranger now sitting before her. _"And why, of all the people, would you want to try to frame Ahsoka for your actions? She was your closest friend! How can you justify doing such a thing?". _Barriss gazed her view away from her master before responding: _"Because it was convenient."._

The shock on the faces of both Jedi was obvious to see. Anakin wanted to yell at Barriss for her brutal words, but restrained himself. Luminara moved closer to her fallen padawan and kneeled in front of her. _"Barriss, I don't believe you. What happened? Why are you doing this?"_, she asked, her voice trembling with sadness. _"Haven't you been paying attention to what I just said?", _Barriss responded in a cold voice, locking her eyes with her upset master. _"This war happened and made us all a bunch of common murderers instead of the glorious peacekeepers the Jedi were in an era now long past"._

Luminara placed her hands on Barriss' shoulders and managed to speak in a calm voice. "_I was listening to you, my padawan, but this still does not explain your actions."_ Barriss turned her head away from her master when she said "my padawan". Luminara placed her hands on Barriss' neck and tried gently to turn her head towards her with her thumbs. "_Barriss please look at me, I …"_, Luminara interrupted herself, feeling something unusual around Barriss' neck. _"Barriss, what is this?" _

Luminara moved her hands around the chain and pulled it up to reveal a strange, bronze-colored necklace inlaid with several gemstones. _"When and where did you get this?"_ she asked. Barriss responded confused: _"where did I get what?"_.

"_Wait a minute…"_, Anakin spoke up, "_I've seen a necklace like that before"._ Before anyone could respond he raised his arm sharply and used the force to yank the necklace from Barriss' neck into his open hand. The moment the necklace was pulled away from her Barriss collapsed backwards. _"Barriss!" _Luminara exclaimed.

Anakin was staring in disbelief and anger at the necklace now in his hand. _"General Skywalker, what is the deal with that necklace and what happened to Offee?"_ Tarkin asked. _"like I said,.. " _Anakin began, "_I've seen a necklace like this before"_. _"Where?"_, Luminara asked, turning slightly towards him but not taking her eyes of her now unconscious apprentice. Anakin continued: _"This is a mind-control necklace, the same type of design used by the Separatists to control the ruler of the Gungans when they tried to invade Naboo! She was being controlled by someone!"._ The others in the room gasped in shock and everyone was quiet.

Then a soft moan broke the silence, Barriss was regaining consciousness. Luminara immediately turned to face her completely. _"Barriss, can you hear me?"_, she asked. Barriss took a moment to wake up before reacting confused and panicked: _"Master? What is going on? What happened? Why am I in a cell? What is this?"_. Luminara lightly grabbed her head and forced her padawan to look at her. _"Barriss, tell me right now, what is the last thing you remember?"_. Barriss, still confused and panicked, tried to recall something and then answered: _"I went out do to a little shopping while you attended the late night council meeting about the war in the outer rim."_. _"Barriss, that happened almost ten days ago…"_, came Luminara's response. Barriss looked at her master in utter shock, barely able to respond. _"What happened?_" she asked quietly. Anakin responded: _"This won't be easy to hear so I won't try to soften it. You, or rather whoever was controlling you used you to commit a terrorist bombing on the Jedi temple, killing civilians, clones and Jedi. Then an accomplice of the assault was murdered while Ahsoka was interrogating her. Ahsoka tried to escape the prison but someone murdered several clones. Ahsoka was framed for the entire scheme, captured by clone troopers, expelled from the Jedi Order and almost sentenced to death by the Senate."_ By now Anakins face was red with anger and frustration and Barriss was shocked and speechless. A silence took hold of the room.

"_But… Ahsoka, were… Is she…?", _Barriss managed to ask. Luminara answered her question: _"Anakin captured you and brought you to the court and you confessed before they were able to sentence Ahsoka. She was cleared from all of the charges shortly after…"._ _"So, she is safe? Back at the temple?"_ Barriss asked hopefully. A small smile was forming on her face but it quickly disappeared when she saw Anakins face. _"No.", _he began, _"Ahsoka was offered to be reinstated as a Jedi Knight, but she refused and left the order. I have no idea where she is now."_ Anakin spoke in a depressed voice.

Barriss was looking in utter disbelief, tears forming in her eyes. _"Barriss, please don't cry…", _Luminara began, but was interrupted by Barriss, now in tears: _"How can I not cry? I just murdered a group of innocent people and my fellow Jedi! I destroyed the life of my only true friend! I… I…"_. Unable to continue Barriss broke down into tears and Luminara hugged her padawan trying to comfort her. _"Barriss it wasn't you someone was controlling you with this necklace."_ Barriss looked up and Anakin showed her the necklace while asking her where she got it from. _"I don't know…"_, she responded weakly. _"Barriss, did anything happen when you returned to the temple after you went shopping? Did you see anything strange at all? Try to remember"._ Anakin told her. _"I…," _Barriss began, her voice still shaking with sorrow, _"There…There was someone…"._ _"Who?", _Luminara asked her. _"I don't know. There was a man in a black cloak at the end of an alley. Then… Then there was pain."_ Barriss answered, looking down at her arms in fear.

Anakin moved to her and rolled up her sleeves. Everyone gasped at the state of her arms. _"Burn marks, these burn marks are consistent with Force Lightning"._ Anakin managed to speak. _"I… Who… What…happened…I don't….", _Barriss was unable to respond properly anymore and was in complete shock. Luminara hugged her close and used the Force to undo her binds. "_Enough, rest easy now Barriss. I'm taking you back to the temple, you're safe now"_. She said trying to comfort her crying padawan as she began to escort her out of the cell.

"_Just a moment Master Jedi, you can't just…". _Tarkin spoke up but was effectively silenced by Luminara's hand connected hard with his face. _"You be quiet, Admiral!", _she snarled at him. Tarkin stood by in disbelief as the Jedi Master and het padawan exited the cell, followed by the reporter.

Anakin went out next, followed by Tarkin but before the Admiral could leave Anakin pushed a switch next to the door and activated the ray shield, thus locking Tarkin in the cell.

"_General Skywalker what are you doing?!" _Tarkin asked, his voice holding a slight shock and frustration after just being slapped by Luminara. _"Oh I'm sorry Admiral," _Anakin said in a mocking tone, _"I must have hit the wrong switch. Here let me fix it."_ After he said that he took his lightsaber with his free hand and quickly destroyed the cells controlpanel. Tarkin and the reporter stood by in disbelief. "_Oh no, I am such a klutz."._ He said in a very unserious tone.

"_WHAT ARE YOU DOING?"_ Tarkin was yelling now, obviously enraged.

Anakin slightly chuckled to himself before replying in a calm voice: _"You just tried to have two innocent teenagers executed and you never even apologized. I think that you need some time to reflect on your actions. But don't worry, I'll send a maintenance worker here just as soon as they're done in the Temple. Could take a few days at most."_ Anakin turned and began to walk away, unable to hide the small smile on his face. _"THIS IS AN OUTRAGE! I DEMAND YOU GET ME OUT OF HERE AT ONCE!" _Tarkin was yelling now. _"Sorry Admiral, I'm a little busy right now."_ Was the only response he got.

"_General Skywalker, what are you going to do now?"_ The reporter asked him after she caught up with him. He held up the necklace and said: "_I'm going to find whoever made this and then I'm going to make them tell me who they are working with and who they are working for. After that they'll pay for their crimes"._ _"Meaning you're going to arrest them and bring to here to stand trial?" _she asked_._ _"Yes, that's correct, unless I have no other choice."._ Anakin replied and walked away. _"Or I might just forget that I am a Jedi for a few moments…" _He thought to himself and he made his way to the exit, all the while ignoring Admiral Tarkins furious yelling.

"_Well my viewers, this has been a wild day. Padawan Barriss Offee is just as much a victim here as Ahsoka Tano was. It's brutal that two young women like them almost took the fall for someone who is obviously too afraid to do his own dirty work. I hope that they both recover from this tragedy. This was Mira Caletta for the _Coruscant Archive_, good day"._ The reporter said in conclusion to the wild interrogation and shut down her camera.

;-

_Meanwhile, on Onderon, Residence of Senator Bonteri._

_This was Mira Caletta for the _Coruscant Archive_, good day_

A Togrutan teen was following the live interrogation, now having a smile or her face and a few tears of joy running down her face. _"Oh Skyguy, you never change. Barriss, I knew you would never do such a thing._" She said quietly.

"_Ahsoka, are you alright?"_ A male voice behind her asked. _"Yeah, Lux I'm alright."_ She replied smiling. _"Alright then, I'm going to bed, I have a lot of things to do tomorrow."_ Lux said while moving next to her and placing his hand on her shoulder. _"Lux_…_?"_ Ahsoka began, _"Do you… Would you mind I if slept in your room tonight? I… I don't want to be alone right now."_ She asked blushing slightly in a quiet voice. An equal blush quickly spread over the young senators face. _"Uh… Of course. That…That is uhm… If you're alright with that…"_ He stuttered out. A smile appeared on Ahsoka's face as she stood up, gave him a light kiss on the cheek and hugged him. _"Thank you Lux, for everything you've done these past few days."_ _"Of course Ahsoka, anything for you."_ He turned off the TV and they made their way to the master bedroom.

;-

**There! Finally. This has been in my head ever since I saw the last episode. I was quite shocked to see it. Barriss was very much out of character. If you read the **_**Medstarr**_** books, which are mainly about Barriss, this last episode just didn't match.**

**This idea popped in my head and refused to leave, so I decided to write it down. I'm not really the type of person to write stories or whatever, but I just thought "oh what the heck, why not".**

**I do hope we seen Ahsoka again in Season 6. Maybe in a soul-searching episode or in a quest to find her family or something like that. Don't let her story end like this with such a sad ending.**

**Like I said, I'm not much of a writer. I do have an idea for an Ahsoka story following her departure that I might just write down. It will include the above scene of her and Lux, how she got there and events after. But… I have a few tests in April and the amount of stuff I have to learn makes me want to fry it with force lightning (wish I could right about now).**

**One thing I'm definitely not good at is making up names so if I ask someone if I could borrow some OC's please let me. If I have copied something from a story and didn't credit you in either this story or possible upcoming ones, sorry about that. Don't hate, I just really liked your story in that case. **

**Anyway, some reviews would be appreciated. See you again next time.**


	2. Chapter 2

**I definitely wasn't expecting this many reviews, thanks!**

**This story was meant as an one-shot, but I've decided to add another chapter. Hope you enjoy.**

;-

_Coruscant, Jedi Temple, several days later_

Barriss Offee was sitting cross-legged in her quarters, trying to meditate. She tried to clear her mind but found it was impossible. With a frustrated groan she moved and leaned back against her bed.

So many things had happened these past few weeks. Master Unduli had told her everything that happened in detail when she had regained her wits a bit. She still had difficulties with accepting the fact that she had fallen under the control of a Sith and that she had committed such horrible crimes. Worst of all, she almost had her best friend executed.

Thinking about Ahsoka reminded her about what happened two days ago. The mind-control necklace Anakin freed her from was being transported to a secure facility so it could be investigated. However, before it could reach its destination a bounty-hunter destroyed the transport and the necklace with it. This resulted in a wild chase that was being broadcasted all over Coruscant, but the bounty-hunter took his own life before he could be captured. Barriss shivered slightly remembering the extreme amount of anger she had felt coming from Anakin afterwards.

She had overheard Master Windu and Master Yoda talking about the bounty-hunter.

"_What kind of loyalty would make someone take their own lives rather than being captured?", Master Windu had asked. There was a short silence before Master Yoda replied: "Loyalty? Perhaps, but fear, fear can make one who lives below a slave to one living in the highest tower"_.

Barriss sat up and hugged her knees to her chest. "What kind of evil could inspire such fear in another?", she asked herself. The answer was already known to her. The black robed Sith that did all of this. She wasn't able to remember much about the Sith nor could she recall if she had seen his face of anything else that could have identified him. But, at the same time she was glad she didn't remember being tortured.

She stretched her legs and leaned back against the bed, looking at her arms that were now mostly covered in bacta-patches. Her visit to the med bay had revealed more burns over the rest of her body, as well as a number of bruises caused by a hard impact. Probably from Anakin slamming her into that tree.

A large group of Jedi, including a few members of the council, were worried that she would fall back towards the Dark Side. She was glad that her master had stood up for her. Barriss relaxed a bit and a small smile spread on her face. Attachment was against the Jedi Code, but she had always thought her master to be more than just her master. The two of them had shared a lot of hardships but they were always able to pull through the seemingly impossible.

Her eyes wandered across the room until she saw the picture frame on her nightstand. She called it towards her with the Force, smiling as she remembered when it was taken.

It was a picture of her and Ahsoka, shortly after the brain worms incident. Ahsoka had insisted that before they left the med bay and parted ways, that they'd take a picture to remember to crazy adventure they shared on and after Geonosis. Barriss had told her that she'd remember it anyway, but Ahsoka's stubbornness won in the end.

Barriss put the picture down beside her and asked to no one in particular: "Where did you go Ahsoka? Why did you have to leave?". She sighed and the same feeling of guilt and she had been feeling for days came rushing back. "Could I have resisted the Sith someway? Would you still have been here then?". Quieting her mind like she had been trying became impossible. Her thoughts drifted to Ahsoka and the adventures they had shared. She was thinking of possible ways of how things could have worked out, ways that would have made sure Ahsoka that had stayed. But she didn't, she left. "I hope your safe Ahsoka, wherever you are…". She said out loud, hoping her lost friend would be able to hear her. Right now all she wanted to do was locate Ahsoka and find some way to apologize to her, to make things right again. She thought to herself: "Would master Unduli allow me to go search for her or…."

The ringing of the doorbell interrupted her thoughts. She reluctantly got up and made her way towards the door. She opened the door and saw that it was Katooni, one of the younglings Ahsoka had accompanied during the Gathering.

"Hello Padawan Offee.", Katooni began, slightly nervous. Barriss wondered for a moment why she could be nervous but quickly recalled what Anakin had told her. Katooni and a group of other younglings saw her possessed self trying to kill Anakin. "Don't worry initiate Katooni, I'm not going to hurt you or anyone else.", Barriss told the young girl, hoping to calm her down a bit. It seemed to work as she could feel Katooni relaxing through the Force. "A package was delivered for you a short while ago. I was asked to deliver it to you.", she said holding out the box she had in her hands. "I see, thank you Katooni.", Barriss replied giving the girl a small nod. Katooni bowed slightly and walked away.

Barriss shut the door and went to sit down on her bed, placing the box beside her. The package was carrying the Senate logo. It made her wonder who in the Senate would send her anything. She opened the box and her eyes went wide in shock. "My…My lightsaber…", she said softly, taking her weapon from the box. "How did this…?". Looking back in the box she noticed a letter. She picked it up and began to read.

"_Barriss,_

_Master Unduli gave me this before I left. She wanted it to keep me safe, but I think that you need it more than I do. _

_I saw your interrogation on the holonet. I'm sorry that you had to go through all of that. I was glad to see that you really were innocent. I knew you weren't capable of doing such awful things. _

_By now, you'll have heard that I have left the temple. Don't blame yourself for it, I just need to sort things out on my own right now. I'm not sure what I'm going to do now or where I'm going to end up, but I just wanted you to know that I forgive you Barriss._

_I hope that we'll see each other again someday. Until that day, may the Force be with you, Barriss._

_Your friend, always_

_Ahsoka"_

By now, a few tears were rolling down her cheeks. Ahsoka had already forgiven her. She wasn't even sure how to apologize but she was already forgiven. "You never change Ahsoka, thank you…".

Barriss then noticed another small part under the message.

"_PS: could you PLEASE tell Skyguy to stop worrying so much? I'm fine and in no danger at all. I'm not planning on doing anything stupid. And yet I can still sense his worries even though I'm several light-years away…"_

Her friend's final comment made her laugh. When she wanted to put the box away she noticed one more thing. There was a picture in there as well. It was a picture of the two of them, taken at Dex's Diner, a few days before this whole mess started.

The guilt she had felt started to fade away as she thought of what Ahsoka would be doing now if she were standing in her shoes. The answer was an obvious one: She'd be tracking whoever was responsible with Anakin, determined to make them pay.

One thing still bothered her a bit. Ahsoka had sent her letter in a Senatorial envelop. Who helped her with this? She was close with senator Amidala and senator Chuchi, but they were both here on Coruscant and Ahsoka had left the planet. Barriss went down a mental list of senators Ahsoka had been around until one name caught her attention. "Lux Bonteri… Of course, so that's where you went.", she said aloud. It was obvious that to her that her Togrutan friend had a thing for the human senator, no matter how much she'd try to deny it. Barriss had teased her with it for quite a while.

Barriss smiled to herself, her confidence restored and her guilt gone. She carefully placed both pictures on her nightstand and put her lightsaber back on her belt. It was about time that she put the past behind her and look towards the future. Master Unduli had kept her as a padawan and she wasn't going to let her master down. She hadn't done so before and she wasn't planning on starting now.

She left her quarters to go find her master and continue her training. Her master had forgiven her, Anakin had forgiven and Ahsoka had forgiven her as well. Now she had to forgive herself.

It was time to start over. It is time for a new beginning.

;-

**My second chapter. If you're wondering about how Ahsoka got Barriss' lightsaber, I'm planning on writing another story, maybe two. This story will be about Ahsoka after she left the temple and the events in that story will explain a few things of this one.**

**I may also do a separate story for Barriss and then have both stories meet each other once/several times, I don't know yet. **

**There just the small matter of me having to do a lot of studying so I don't really know when I can write this. **

**In case you were wondering, Master Yoda's quote came from one of the smaller star wars – the clone wars comics. Only then he is talking to Quinlan Vos, not Master Windu.**

**One review mentioned my grammar, please keep in mind: I'm from the Netherlands and my native language is Dutch. Dutch grammar and English grammar are completely different.**

**I once saw an episode of the clone here on TV, ugh… never again. It was one of the Umbara-arc. Unfortunately, everything here is voiced-over in Dutch, in a really, really, really bad way. The clones just sounded boring, Krell's dark and menacing voice was replaced with some average person who sounded like he was giving some job-presentation and Obi-wan sounded at least fifteen years younger. Dutch clone wars? I think I'll pass. Thank the Force for internet… **

**In any way, thanks for all of the reviews and favs. I hope to be able to continue soon.**


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